Minister of Home Affairs Urges Local Governments to Strengthen Regional Coordination Forums to Maintain Political and Security Stability
The Minister of Home Affairs, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, has requested that local governments strengthen the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), the Forum for Religious Harmony (FKUB), and the Integrated Social Conflict Handling Team (TPKS) to maintain political, security, and public order stability in their respective regions.
This directive was issued by the Minister during a briefing at the Forkopimda Coordination Meeting for the Maluku and Nusa Tenggara regions. The event, titled ‘The Role of the Central Government in Enhancing Synergy to Maintain Harmony, Security, and Public Order’, took place at the Merumatta Senggili Ballroom in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Tuesday, 19 May 2026.
The Minister explained that while the primary agenda in West Nusa Tenggara was to present awards to high-performing local governments in the Maluku and Nusa Tenggara regions, the forum also served as a strategic moment for Forkopimda coordination, following an agreement with the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs.
During the session, the Minister highlighted three critical areas that local governments must strengthen to maintain political and security stability. First, he emphasised that Forkopimda plays a highly strategic role as a forum that brings together all regional leadership elements possessing significant authority in maintaining security and order. “I see three vital elements in the regions for maintaining stability. One is Forkopimda, because it is a forum of leaders with significant power, including the Regional Military Commander, Regional Police Chief, Head of the District Attorney’s Office, District Police Chief, Regional Prosecutor, and Regional Intelligence Agency Head; they are very influential,” he stated.
Secondly, the Minister noted that the FKUB plays a crucial role in maintaining social harmony, particularly in areas vulnerable to religious issues. However, he noted that a current challenge for the FKUB is limited budget support, which restricts their operational capacity. “If they are active and proactive in visiting areas prone to such issues, the regions usually remain calm. But if the FKUB is inactive, action only occurs after an incident has happened, much like a fire brigade,” he explained.
Thirdly, the Minister urged local governments to establish and activate the TPKS teams. He noted that some regions have yet to form or optimise these teams. The formation of TPKS is a regulatory mandate, including Law Number 7 of 2012 on Social Conflict Handling, which is reinforced by Law Number 23 of 2014 on Regional Government, along with other derivative regulations.